Seeing Through the Truth
by percabeth1212
Summary: A car crash that Percy caused made Annabeth blind. Now she probably will never see the light of the day again, because of him. Thinking that it's all idiot Percy's fault, she tries to push her grief aside once she meets this new kid she never met before: Jackson. But what will happen when she realizes Jackson is actually Percy?
1. Chapter 1

**All rights go to Rick Riordan :)**

**Annabeth Pov**

I remember white light streaking in my eyes, and blacking out.

~/~/~

"The results say…" I hear faint voices behind the buzzing of a sort of monitor in the background. It smells antiseptic in here, and the air feels thin. I'm lying on something, with blankets covering me.

I open my eyes. Wait, no. I didn't. Because I can't see anything. They must still be closed, if I can't see anything, right? I lift my hand and grimace with pain. Then, I touch my finger lightly on my eyelid. I blink. Why can't I see anything?

"Mom?" I croak out. "Where –where are you?"

I hear shuffling and movement coming towards me. "Hold still, honey," a voice says, and I feel a hand on my arm lifting the sleeve of my shirt. "I'm the nurse, okay? Just going to take a quick blood test to make sure –"

"I can't see anything!" I half yell half whimper, expecting someone to reassure me and tell me it was just a side-effect.

"I know. We're checking the x-rays right now. Do you remember anything?" the nurse asks, as a feel a cold piece of metal enter my skin and then exit.

"I –I –I just remember a lot of pain and glass coming towards me," I say, frowning. "And then –then…I don't know." I know that if I think hard enough, I'll remember, except right now I'm so tired my mind doesn't feel like making an effort.

I blink a couple times just to verify that my eyes are open. "Am I going to be alright?" I feel like a little girl again, scared and alone, veiled in the dark. I turn my head, but the light is tantalizing and everything is dark. Not black. Just dark. Everything seems ravenous, and I feel so unprotected. Undefended, like I'm not part of the world.

The nurse pats my hand. "I'm sure you'll be fine, sweetie. Would you like any water?"

I shake my head, though my mouth feels dry and prickly. I don't feel like I will trust anything or anyone without seeing what it is first.

~/~/~

"Annabeth! I'm Dr. Brunner," a voice erupts in my ear.

"I still can't see," I say, twiddling my fingers. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

He inhales. "Alright. Now, can you remember what happened?"

I nod. "I remember it better now. I was driving along the road, and –and –" Everything suddenly came crystal clear to me. It was Percy, Percy Jackson who had crashed his car into mine, and then everything had went black. I fight back a sob. "There was a car crash."

Percy is a guy who goes to my school, Goode High. I never really knew him. In fact, I really don't know him at all. All I know is that he crashed his car and caused the accident, and it was all his fault. I grip the sides of, well, I actually don't know what it is, but it feels hard. I was suddenly angry at Percy, that _stupid_ guy who got me in this condition. Why did he have to -?! A strangled scream curdles in my throat. I shake my head. I was being introspective. _It's alright, Annabeth_, a voice in my head soothes me.

I hear sympathy in his voice. "I'm sorry. Well, we've got results from your x-rays, Annabeth. And, I –I'm sorry to say that your cornea has been damaged quite a bit." I could sense the uneasiness in the room.

"What does that mean?" I ask, all of a sudden dread filling inside me. "Does this mean –"

"You are blind."

Silence fills the room. I open and close my eyes repeatedly. No. I cannot be blind. I won't allow it. "Can I be fixed? Can you do something?" Panic starts covering up my voice and tears start seeping through.

He hands me a tissue and though I can't see him, I know he is trying to reassure me. "Don't worry, Annabeth. We're doing our best to help you. You just have one broken arm, and it's not severe, so you can go to school in two days."

I didn't care about a broken arm. I didn't care about school. I just wanted my eyesight back. "I will never see the world again? My graduation day? My creations? How am I going to be an architect? I'll never see my future husband, or my kids, or even me?" My throat clogs up, but I don't cry. In fact, I seem to be too sad to even cry. "I won't be able to see what I'll look like when I'm thirty? Or sixty? And forget about a hundred, because if I don't see the world in eighty three years, I, I –ugh!" I grit my teeth, and even though I'm fully aware that I'm overreacting, I can't calm down.

"Don't think that way," he says gently.

"If only I decided to walk to the library instead of driving. If only. Then I wouldn't be in this state, staring into nowhere." I cross my arms.

"The future is always undetermined. Don't worry about possibilities. It'll only bring you down."

"Possibilities? Well, I can see the possibilities if that _jerk _didn't crash his car into mine!"

He gives me a second to calm down. I take a few heavy breaths to steady myself.

Finally, my tone comes out hapless and weak, completely the opposite of before. "Will I be okay?" It sounds so fragile and afraid that when I hear it, it doesn't sound like me.

"I promise you one hundred percent you will be fine. We'll meet with you every other week, to check if there is progress happening. Don't give up hope. Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions, okay? Please answer them the best you can, alright?"

I give a slight nod, and he proceeds.

"Can you see anything if I'm doing this?" he asks. I don't know what he's doing, so I concentrate instead using my instincts to guide me.

There's something like a flicker of movement.

"Sort of," I decide, and I try to describe what I see. "There's kind of a little faint white glow in the middle of the darkness, and it's…it's…I don't know how to say."

His voice seems pleased. "Very good. I'm moving my hand back and forth. Do you know why this happens?"

I shake my head.

"Since the visual cortex is expecting to see an image, or a picture, it creates its own instead. The brain is able to conjure up what you think you see. Our human bodies have a very protective system. This proves that though you are blind, your body is still wanting to rely on your eyes to depend on your senses. Your mind is still connected to your eyes."

"Oh." That's all I can think of to say.

I hear a padding of footsteps and a click of a button. "Do you see anything?"

A bright illumination blossoms before my eyes. "Yeah –it's really white. Did you just turn on…a light?"

"Yes. I just turned on this extremely bright fluorescent light. It's good that you can know that it's there, because that means your mind is trying to know what to distinguish. Like if you step out on a sunny day, you can know if the sun is there. That's good –it does not mean you are _completely _blind. You can sense a few things that stand out." I hear some ruffling through drawers.

"Stay still, alright Annabeth? You can trust me. I'm just going to quickly…" I feel a wet piece of cloth near my neck area, and a piece of plastic.

I maintain my persistence. "Will I be forever this way?"

Dr. Brunner pauses whatever he was doing to decide his answer. "Hard to say," he admits. "We'll schedule more check-ups to see how your corneas are doing. Then we'll see."

His unsureness leaves a knot of worry in my stomach. I try to leave it aside as I feel a sharp needle sink into my flesh.

He leaves the nurse with me for a little.

"What's your name?" I ask, finally.

"Judy," she responds almost immediately.

"Oh. Okay," I say, and I lean back on what I now know is a bed.

Her voice is full of interest. "Why do you ask?"

I shrug, running my hand through my tangled hair that feels as dry as dried up leaves. "I'm just trying to picture you, because…because I feel like if I know someone's name, I can figure them out. It's kind of confusing."

"I see. Well, sometimes the name isn't the thing you can completely trust," she says, and I know that she's right.

"Yeah," I agree as I adjust my position of my legs, which are as stiff as cardboard.

"I'm sorry you're blind," she says. "I can't imagine how that would be for you –at such a young age."

I nod respectively towards her sound. "It's hard to take in, but it's okay. Just the fact that I can never see colors or shapes anymore...I'm 17. I –I can persevere through this. The world isn't over because some guy caused me to –" my voice breaks. "To be blind."

She starts to say something, but Dr. Brunner comes back. "Thanks, Judy. Annabeth, would you like to see your parents? They're here," he says.

"Sure," I respond, closing my eyes. Maybe I can have better senses with my eyes closed, since I can't see anything anyway with them open.

"Annabeth!" my mom flings her arms around me, though she's still cautious of all the tubes in my arms. "Are you okay?" I open my eyes as I try really hard to picture her, but the best I can do is see a few blemishes here and there.

"I met with them and talked about your conditions, if that's okay with you," Dr. Brunner scribbles something down.

"It's fine, Dr. Brunner. Mom, dad, it's okay. I'm still the same," I say. My dad kisses the top of my head, and I know it's him since I can smell his tangerine shaving cream.

"Oh, my daughter," he says. "Don't be afraid, alright? We're always by your side no matter what."

I manage a smile. "Thanks."

My mom is smoothing out my hair. "When we heard about the car crash, we got out of work as soon as we could. There was so much traffic, and I _swear_ I could practically hear the ambulance…" she hugged me. "Was there anyone else in the car with you?"

I think. "No," I decide. "It was only me –I was driving to the library. My library book was due...oh no, it's going to be fined! Every day is one dollar -"

"Who crashed you?"

"I don't know…?" I say, though the sentence curls into a question at the end. "I –I forget," I lie. Then I try to change the subject. "What happened to the car?"

It's a while before my mom talks. "It's…getting cleared up now. You were very, very, lucky that you weren't killed. The car is gone, now, or at least it is unfixable."

Dr. Brunner reassures my parents that everything will be okay, and that I can still go to school, though I'll need a walking stick.

"I don't want a walking stick!" I complain, as he closes my fingers around something. "Everyone will think that I'm a moron!"

"Now, Annabeth," my dad's voice turns guarded. "Let's not make a silly little problem turn into a big one."

I sigh as I try my walking stick out, feeling like I aged seventy years early.

We run through a few more tests, and I know things will never be the same.

**Hello, everyone! I'm so happy to be starting this new story, "Seeing Through the Truth"! Now, thank you for giving this story a chance and clicking it, and if you'd review or favorite/follow, that'd be wonderful! Some quick information: this is a PERCABETH story, rated T, and it's going to be maybe 15-20 chapters long! If you have time, it'd be great if you guys could check my other story "Being Normal" and maybe leave a review? Thanks so much, and I'm really excited to continue this story! –Sophia **


	2. Chapter 2

**Percy Pov**

I open my eyes and find myself laying in a hospital bed. Immediately, I sit up straight, and the pain in my chest multiplies and then spirals throughout my body. What happened?

It was like everything came shooting towards me at once. A flash of light. Her gray eyes the last thing I saw. It was all an accident.

The guilt inside me expands all the way until I can't breathe.

A doctor comes in and shakes my hand. "Hello, Percy. I'm Dr. Brunner," he says. His hands are tough and strong, not meant to break but to build. He has kind brown eyes with little crinkles framing them, and curly brown hair.

"Is she okay?" my voice is barely a whisper.

He gives a smile. "Annabeth's fine. I just checked on her. It's just that she has a broken arm…" he nervously shifts from one foot to another, "and now she's blind."

I almost choke. "_What_?"

Annabeth Chase is the girl I have a crush on. It was since fourth grade. She never knew me, probably never noticed me before either. We were never in the same class. It's as if the fates had purposely done that.

But though she probably forgot I existed, that didn't mean she didn't exist to me. She was always the quiet girl who was loud when you got to know her. The girl who would swing by herself and read a book if her friends were absent. Then, when she got older, she became even more. The girl who volunteered to tutor the handicapped. The girl who fundraised for the less fortunate.

Her eyes always had a mesmerizing effect, and now…they don't work? What kind of guy am I, hurting a girl? Even if it was out of intention!

He tells me not to worry, but I worry as if the whole world depends on it.

"Is her arm okay? How many bones did she break?"

"Only three."

"_Only _three?"

"Yes. All she needs is one surgery."

"What kind of surgery?"

He explains that he'll use pins to stick them in the bones so they will be able to grow back naturally themselves. About three months of healing time, he predicts.

"Will she ever gain her eyesight back?"

"That's a hard answer to give," he confesses.

I slump on the pillows and groan, all of the leftover energy draining from my body.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Dr. Brunner says. "It was an accident. Right?"

"I –I blacked out for ten seconds, and I couldn't see the road. And then, there was a terrible sound and…" I bite my lip, and decide not to finish the sentence. "I've been blacking out more than usual –it's happened ever since my dad died last year, but the last couple months..."

He frowns. "Are you gaining enough nutrients? Did you get into a bad injury?"

"I don't know about the nutrients, but I didn't get into any bad injuries until this one," I say.

He checks my cuts and bruises on my arms, then tells me to lift up my shirt. I'm scared to see what's under, but I do what he asks. His eyebrows crease as I lift it higher and higher. He looks worried, so I don't allow my eyes to peek below my shirt.

"Well, there are a lot of bad cuts down there," he says. When he says _bad_, he looks doubtful if _bad_ covers it. I try to picture my messed up skin. Dr. Brunner places a hand near the middle.  
"Does it hurt when I do this?" he presses down. I wince, as a piece of hurt prisms out up to my sternum area.

"Ow…yeah, it does."

"Does anything else pain you?"

After I get 26 stitches, Dr. Brunner tells me I can leave in a few days.

~/~/~

I'm thankful that my mom understands me when I tell her. She first checks my stitches for the thousandth time this morning, then gives me a hug before I go off to school and tells me it's alright. After, she asks if I want her to call Annabeth and make sure she's okay.

"I can find her number in the phonebook and call her or her parents to check on her. I can bring a few presents over to her house and make sure she's fine," she offers.

I tell her that I want to check on her personally myself at school, and she ruffles my hair and hugs me once more.

During free period, I see Annabeth sitting at one of those tables outside, studying by herself. She's usually there, except this time, she's reading a different book. It must be in Braille, the language for the blind where you feel the dots to know the letters, because I can see her using her fingers and rubbing it on the paper. I wince as I look at her broken arm, then her cuts and really bad bruises here and there. I caused this.  
I try to figure out a way to say "I'm sorry" to her as she flips the page. I take a seat down. "Um, hey."

She's so startled she accidentally knocks down all her heavy textbooks and they land on the floor.

"Oh man –I'm _so_ sorry," I quickly apologize as I pick them up for her, hoping that she doesn't notice I'm blushing. _Well, of course she can't notice you blushing,_ I scold myself. _She can't see. Come on, you can do better than this! _I try to eat up the pain in my chest before it shows as I bend over the seat, piling the books for her and coming back up again. I bring them to her hands.

Our fingers touch, which causes me to shoot away, dropping her books again. It's a quick spark of electricity, the climax of a story, the love hidden in the lie. "Sorry," I mumble, as I reach under the table to retrieve them again. As I come up, my head hits the table. I grunt.

"Are…you okay?"

"Oh –yeah, yeah, I'm great!" I say quickly. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," she says, as she takes the books from me. Her eyes meet mine, but in a way, they don't. It's like she's trying to concentrate on what I am. The beautiful gray color enthralls me. "I –_I'm_ sorry. It's just that I'm kind of…blind." She motions towards her walking stick.

She pauses. Oh. She doesn't think that I know. "Really? That's terrible –how?" I pretend like it's my first time hearing this.

"There was a car crash. Some stupid guy named Percy Jackson caused this. Really, it's him who's took everything from me." Her voice sounds so bitter, and I feel like a piece of me was ripped off.

"O-oh," my voice cracks. I'm using all I can to keep myself upright now, as I feel another blackout coming. So she hates me…what else is new?

She nods, then moves her arm which is in a cast to the side. "But we shouldn't be worrying about him right now. What's your name?"

I suddenly feel like I'm supposed to be saying the truth, but I don't. Saying, _Oh, you know that guy you were talking about fifteen seconds ago? Yeah, that's me,_ didn't seem like a great idea.

"My name? It's…Jackson." It's the only name I can think of, and I'm not very good at improvising. I think of changing my voice to make it a little less suspicious, but she's never heard 'Percy Jackson's voice' before, so I keep it the same.

_Percy, you're supposed to be apologizing to her. Apologize! _my head commands. _Tell her the truth!_

She tries the name out. "Jackson. Is it your first name?"

"Yeah," I force out. _The truth! _my mind barks again.

"Not a very typical name."

I give a weak laugh. "Yeah." _Stop saying yeah!_

"Are you a junior?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. I wonder how come I've never come across you before. Well, Goode is a huge school, so I guess it's not so likely."

"Yea –um, I agree."

She smiles at me. "Well –" she pauses as she tilts her head to listen.

I hear some footsteps, and it's Leo, one of my friends. He's standing at the corner of the section.

"Hey Percy!" he waves his hand towards me.

Annabeth's head turns immediately toward the direction he shouted, and confusion shows in her face. "Is he –is he talking to you?"

"Oh, no," I say nervously, and then I mouth _Not a right time!_ to Leo, in the same time making frantic gestures that all means 'no'. He gets the message and goes off in his own direction. "Percy's that way, on the basketball court." It feels weird saying my name in that way.

"Oh." Her voice still seems uncertain. "I could've sworn it was directed towards you."

I know Annabeth isn't clueless. In fact, she's just the opposite. All high honors student, with all citizenship awards as well. I know that it won't take long for her to figure out the truth. But at the same time, I don't want to leave her. It's my first conversation with her, and I want it to last. She looks breathtakingly gorgeous, so beautiful that I find it hard to look away from her. Every bit of her is beguiling –the rose bud pink pigment on the tops of her cheeks, her twisted golden hair spiraling out to her shoulders, her enticing eyes.

"Are you, um, still there?" she asks, bringing her books close to her as if she felt unsafe. A lock of curly hair falls to her shoulders.

"Oh, um. Yeah. Yes, I'm still here," I say, still staring at her eyes. I know they aren't doing anything, but it's almost as if she's fighting, trying to _make_ them work.

"I thought you left," she traces her toe on the ground. "Sorry –my senses are kind of fighting to work, trying to fill in for my eyesight."

"That's okay," I blush. "Er –did you want me to stay? I mean, uh, like, I'll go if you want, if you, you know, don't want me here…"

"No –it's fine –I actually feel more protected when someone I trust is with me," she says.

When she says _trust_, my heart feels like it weighs a thousand times more. What if she found out that she was talking to the guy who caused the darkness the veil up the light in her world? The guy who destroyed a piece of her, possibly for life? The guy who _knows_ that he isn't doing the right thing but is doing it anyway…

The bell rings, indicating that free period was now over. "Uh, do you need help or anything?"

"It's fine," she says, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, but I help pack her books up anyway.

"Thanks…Jackson," she says finally, and looks at the floor. Then, she switches her gaze back towards me. "It was really nice meeting you."

"Yeah, erm, you too."

She gives a little wave, then uses her walking stick to guide herself.

**Second chapter's here! Please review if possible –it'd make my day! :D Thanks for reading, and maybe favorite/follow? (thanks for the ones who did!) I'm going to try my best to exceed your expectations, and if you have any comments, feel free to state them. Every review = 1 percababy :D (at least in our worlds) Enjoy your day, and I'll catch up with you guys later! –Sophia **

**P.S. Check out my other story if you have the chance! To my 'Being Normal' readers, if you guys are reading this –the Holiday Christmas Edition is coming soon, so stay tuned for that!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Annabeth Pov**

"How was your first day back?" My mom asks while she helps me get onto the car. I don't take the school bus home, because there'd be complications.

"It was okay. Same old school as always. Thalia wasn't here today, though," I say. "She's still on vacation."

"Oh," she says, shutting the car door for me. There's a pause as she walks around, opens the driver seat's door, gets in, and closes it. "San Diego?"

I nod as I feel around for the seatbelt, then click it in.

I feel that not being able to see anything, I'm more aware. The heater in the car is making a sound, blowing diagonally towards me. The tires make a scratchy noise. I can hear the kids out in the drop off area waiting for their parents –those who don't have a car, or don't take the bus. We must be driving farther away from the parking lot now, because their sounds are getting fainter. My mom rolls down the windows, and warm spring air seeps in.

"Music?" she asks.

"Sure."

She turns the music on, and I press against the seat, humming along with the tune.

"Did you need any help with anything today?" I hear my mom lean against her seat. I pick at my seatbelt.

"Not really," I say. "From time to time, but otherwise I was okay."

"Only trust the people you know," she reminds me. "You need to be more cautious now that you've lost your eyesight." Her voice hooks at the end, but she then regains her regular voice.

I'm thankful that she's trying to hold in her sorrow. She probably knows that mourning over something that can't be fixed is no use. She also distinguishes the fact that after all this, I'm the one who's supposed to be worrying –not them, and it wouldn't be fair for everyone else to pull away with grief when I need them most.

"I know." I close my eyes, feeling the wind tickle my skin.

~/~/~

"Do you guys think you could tell me –oh! Um, hey there. Sorry about tha –did I just hit you with my walking stick? I'm so sorry about that –sorry!" I nervously try to skirt around the people in the hallway.

"Watch it!" someone yells.

"Can you speed up? I'm going to be late to class!" another voice grumps in my ear.

I try to hurry, stepping off to the left. In return, someone knocks over my walking stick and flips over my binders. The bell rings, and papers fly everywhere. I can hear the sounds of classroom doors shutting.

I'm on the ground, and my hands are roaming around the floor, trying to search for my stick.

"Need this?" a voice asks. His sound is deep –a little familiar too –but also with melody, like when a country singer speaks (except without the accent).

My heart slows down.

The person hands me a cylindrical bar –my walking stick –and closes my fingers around it. He leaves his hand around mine for a few seconds, and then let's go. My fingers feel cold when his absence leaves me.

I do my best to estimate where this person is, and stare off towards that direction. "Thanks." I moisten my lips. "Thank you." Suddenly, I feel very aware that I'm on the ground. Probably looking like a fool, I uneasily rise.

He then hands me my binder. "Thought you'd might want this before you went to class." I can tell he's giving a nervous smile.

"Who –what's your name?"

"Oh –it's, um, Jackson. Jackson, from the other day."

The heat rushes out of my face. "Oh. Okay." I feel grateful now, that he's here. "Thanks, Jackson."

"Jackson! Chase!" A voice that belongs to no other than Mr. H's impatiently bounds across the room. "_What_ are you two doing in the hallway?"

"Oh –he was just helping me with my books," I say.

He sniffs disapprovingly and marches off.

Mr. H usually calls us by our last names –but what is Jackson's last name? He can't be Percy, right? No –he's too nice to be him. Percy is the "oh I think I'm so popular now let me crash Annabeth" guy. Not even a poignant remark on my loss. Jackson is the opposite –helpful and kind. Maybe Mr. H just likes calling him Jackson. But I know I have to keep my distance.

I step off to the left, meaning to step away from him, but instead I bump into him, causing both of us to stumble. He catches himself with his foot before he almost falls, and then grabs me around the waist to steady me.

I was probably blushing a storm –my face feels like it had been fried. "Sorry," I mumble, brushing my hair behind my ear.

"That's okay."

I'm still blushing. Why am I still blushing? What does that mean? Annabeth, stop blushing! Oh no, I can't! What is wrong with me? I don't even know Jackson that well, so how would I have a crush on him? Who said anything about crushes?

"I –I'll be going now." I cautiously step to the right, and bump into a wall. "Er –yeah, um, see you later." _See you later? You can't even see! _I think, mentally slapping myself.

~/~/~

After school, I walk to the beach myself. There's a machine GPS that the doctors gave me –it comes in real handy. All you do is insert an address or a local area, and it tells you the directions.

"Turn left," it vibrates in my ear. "In one block, make a sharp right turn."

When I get there, I go straight over to the boardwalk that overlooks the ocean. I don't need to see it to know where it is –I've been here enough times to know. I lean on the railing and breathe in the air, trying to imagine the waves brushing against each other. It's not hard, because I can hear them; they are nonstop –tossing over and over at a fixed rhythm. Seagulls chitter in the air, and the wind is whistling an upbeat tune.

"I didn't know you'd be here," someone says. It's Jackson.

My heart gives a jump –nervous? Excited? I don't know.

"I've always liked coming here," I say. "Right now, it seems like the only right place to go to. I can almost see the ocean by listening to the sounds. I mean, the mall or the museum or the high school football game doesn't seem like a good place for someone like me now."

He laughs. "That makes sense."

The uneasiness in the air goes away, and somehow I feel more natural. All the tension sinks away, and I straighten myself. "So, why are you here?"

It's a while until he answers. "It reminds me of my dad," he says at last. "Ever since he's died, I've always liked coming here. I just feel calmer, and it's like nothing matters –for at least a few moments."

"Really? What happened to him?" I say without thinking. "I mean, only if you want to tell me, because of course you don't have to…"

"He was going out here one night. We don't really know what happened…lost here at sea, we think. Never saw him again. There was no warning."

"Oh." The waves toss over each other. "I'm sorry about your dad." The wind is teasing my hair, and I brush it back down.

"That's okay."

We stand there for a few minutes.

"So, how does it feel to be blind?" he asks.

The question surprises me, just a little. Out of all the people who asked questions about being blind, that question had never been mentioned. It was always, "Are you scared?" or "Is it weird?"

"It feels different," I reply. "I feel like there's a lot I'm missing out on. Facts, things…people."

"It probably does feel different," he agrees. "But, sometimes talking helps get your mind off it. It's almost like closing your eyes. Little things can make you forget about the big things. Like, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

I blush. "An architect. I know it sounds crazy, but…I want to design something that'll last longer than a lifetime. More than forever. Like…how I wish my eyesight could've been."

I hear him shake his head. "It's not crazy. I'm on your side."

That comment makes me feel warm inside. Is that normal? It's normal, right? To feel wiggles up your back and this bubbly feeling in your throat and jubilance resting at the pit of your stomach? Yeah, that should be completely normal…

"Really?"

"Really. Maybe you can design something for me that'll last forever," he jokes.

I laugh.

"Remembering things that make you happy also lets your mind get off your sorrow," he suggests.

I close my eyes, thinking of all the wonderful things in life I've experienced: winning the math contest in eighth grade, Thalia and I pretending we were adults and using pillows as 'Prince Charming' to waltz around with when we were little, complaining whenever my dad stole a lick from my ice cream cone but secretly loving it, and my mom's cakes that were always so thoroughly detailed and perfect –I was always afraid to eat them. More memories flood my mind, and when I open my eyes, I almost expect to be able to see again.

"Maybe it's just me," he says.

"No -I almost forgot I was still blind. It actually…kind of worked," I say, zippering my jacket a little higher. "I guess sometimes I feel like everything is impossible when you're blind. It's a little disappointing of not being to see anything, but you helped me."

"Marla Runyan. Derek Rabelo. John Bramblitt. Helen Keller. Maybe one day, your name will be remembered up with those," he says.

"You think so?"

"Yeah," he says.

I smile.

"I'm sorry about you being blind," he says.

"Don't be. You didn't do anything," I tell him.

"Um…yeah." I hear him shift uneasily. I wonder if I've made him feel uncomfortable. Then, I realize that I kind of owe him a debt.

"Thanks for, you know. Spending time with me now. Helping me in the hallway. I kind of owe you," I run my necklace chain through my fingers.

"It's really me who owes you… I mean, a really pretty girl like you with nice eyes shouldn't deserve to be blind," he blurts.

"What? Oh, um. Thanks," I flush, pushing a few of my curls back. Suddenly, I care about how I look. Is my hair probably flying everywhere now? Do I have anything on my face? Did I accidentally put oil on my skin instead of moisturizer this morning? "That's kind of you to say."

I hear him run his fingers through his hair. "Uh, well. It's the truth."

I think we're both blushing now.

He's so sweet. So easy to talk to, so soothing. That's what I needed the last few days. I almost want to lean in to kiss him. But…what if I missed his mouth? That would be awkward, and don't forget embarrassing. And then there's the fact that I don't even know if he likes me, and then the other fact that I don't really know him. But I know that I like him a lot.

_Stop it_, I rebuke_. You don't even know what he looks like. He might be bald, or have tattoos, or have bug-eye glasses. What did Mom say? Only trust the people you know. But then again…I'll never see anyone, so why should it matter for what people look like?_

"Well, I need to go now," he says abruptly, straightening himself. "But it was really nice to see you, Annabeth."

"I'll, um, talk to you at school another time," I say.

~/~/~

It's Thursday, the end of the week. I'm in the girl's locker room, changing into my gym clothes. I groan –it's not that I don't like gym. I was always one of the first to finish running, and sports came easily to me. But being blind…it's now different. I have to sit out on all the games now, and the only thing they allow me to do is run.

The bell rings, and everyone shuffles out of the locker room. I don't rush, because in my condition, the teachers pardon me whenever I'm late. I tie my shoelaces, which takes a little longer because I need to find them on my sneakers. When I'm done, I start to stand up.

All of a sudden, someone presses me against the lockers. The person smells like too-much-cologne with a rusty scent mixed in. "Hey Annabeth," a throaty voice says.

Luke. I only know that voice too well. Goode High's player.

I say the smartest possible thing I can think of: "You're in the girl's locker room."

"I know," he says. He lifts my tight gym jersey up the slightest bit. Why do we have to wear gym clothes to gym when we can't even breathe in them?

There is only one thing I'm reiterating in my head now. _Run. _

I try to wriggle from his grasp, but he pins me to the wall. "Blind now, aren't you? Pity. It's sad that you can't see anything. There's so much that is needed for us to see in this world, right?" His breath is scraping my face.

"There's so much that is _not_ needed for us to see as well," I spit out.

He gives a laugh, then sticks his hand under my shirt near my belly and touches the bottom of my bra.

"What are you –stop –" I start to say, but he covers my mouth with a slimy kiss.

I'm trying my best to break away from him, but I know he's stronger than me, and a bit of despair comes in me. What can I do? Get my phone and call the police? No…my phone is hidden somewhere in my locker, and I'd have to rummage through it to find it. Not enough time for that. Well, I don't see any escape plans for me…

"It's easier when girls are blind," he says. "Why can't all girls be blind? It'll be easier to fool around with them."

I'm really panicking now.

He continues kissing me, and I bite hard on his lip, hoping he'll bleed.

It gets his attention. He jerks away, and thankfully his hand on my chest moves away, though his other is still pushing me against the wall.

"What the –" he curses. He regains his act after a few seconds. "Playing aggressive? Fine. We'll play that way." He touches my inner thigh and moves his fingers upward.

I'm really struggling now, trying to break his hold. "Stop it –"

Then, I hear footsteps. "Let go of her now, Luke."

It's Jackson's voice.

**What will happen next? Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I'm going to really try to add a lot of Percabeth in the next ones! THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS! They make me smile :) and scream with joy :D and act like a crazy person (in a good way lol) :P Also, thanks for the people who favorite/followed, and I hope you look forward to the next chapter! I love you guys! –Sophia**


	4. Chapter 4

**Percy Pov**

Luke turns and sneers at me. "Don't tell me what to do, Jackson."

Annabeth's looks tortured and mortified as he continues to grab at her. Her beautiful eyes are clouded with alarm. I can't stand seeing her like this.

"Don't touch her," I say, trying to sound threatening as I walk up to him. It's probably stupid, because he is an inch taller than me, and about four inches wider than me. And of course, I'm only a sophomore and he's a senior – he's the quarterback on the school's football team.

Finally, he turns away from her, still one hand holding her to the wall. "Why? Because _you_ want to?"

My face suddenly feels so hot, you'd probably be able to fry an egg on my face. "Of course not –not in that way."

He narrows his eyes. "I see."

I press my lips together. "It's not right to sexually harass someone. It's illegal."

He laughs. "You two tiny little things. Victims of accidents, right?"

"I –what -"

Luke pushes me backwards, sending me flying. My chest hits the floor and I groan. I can feel my old cuts from the car crash reopening, slowly peeling apart.

"_Jackson_!" Annabeth screams.

He turns back to her, taking her shoulders. "Calm down. Jeez. It's not a big deal, baby."

"Don't call me that!"

My mind is fuzzy –wrinkles of color dance around in my eyes. I unsteadily grip the bench above me. Blotches skip around my vision, teasing me with images I can't quite decipher. My whole self feels like it's vibrating, and I feel tingly, like someone just tossed a bucket of coke over me.

"Annabeth. You're safe here with me. I won't let him hurt you again." Luke gazes at Annabeth lovingly.

_I didn't make her blind on purpose –I love her_, I want to protest, but I can't find my voice.

"He never hurt me," she forces out. "What did you _do_ to him? Where is he? Help him –he's hurt –go!"

"I'll help him," he says. "Maybe help him get more injured."

"No!"

"Maybe he shouldn't have interrupted," he snaps. His expression changes as he plays his hands around her face and neck. "Not strangling this time? Good girl. Stay like that."

I grit my teeth. _Don't treat her like a dog, you bastard._

Annabeth stays rigid as he starts raising his hands under her shirt. Trying to buy me some time, maybe.

I need to do something. We can't hold out forever. I limp over to the emergency phone to the corner, trying to ignore the slurping noises. I press the red button, and a loud shrieking noise sounds the entire school.

It's more than enough to get Luke away from Annabeth. He storms over to me. "You –you dare try and –" He throws a punch at my stomach. "You think you can just get everything, right?" Then, he kicks at my leg, and as my knees buckle, he strikes my back.

Annabeth runs over to us, probably using her sounds to guide her. "Luke, stop!"

He shoves her to the lockers, and she hits the floor. "Stay out of this, Chase. He's no good for you."

"A –nnabeth." I'm trying my best to reach her.

Luke kicks my arm away. "Don't talk to her, Pe –"

Luke's about to pummel my gut when the principal and secretary of Goode rushes through the door. Mr. Zeusaroco, the head of the school, eyes the catastrophe on the floor. He glances towards Annabeth's shirt that is half off, then at Luke in mid-punch, then at me.

"Mr. Castellan –please explain what you're doing, _now_."

Luke glares at me and drops his arm. "There's nothing to explain."

"Well, I'm sure there is. You better come up with something to explain this mess at the principal's office, at least."

About three fourths of the school is trying to peek in through the door, and Mr. Zeusaroco shoos them away. They shamble along the hallways reluctantly, whispering nonstop.

"You are to come with me and Mrs. Herasta to the main office," he says to Luke. "And for you two," he says to both me and Annabeth, "I will send the nurse to get you both."

They close the door, and it's just me and Annabeth alone.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

She swallows with difficulty. "I'm fine. Are you –you –" All of a sudden she starts crying. I inch over to her and put my arms around her.

"I thought –for a moment I thought…" she can't finish her sentence. She continues to sob into me, and I hug her tighter. I rub between her shoulder and back, trying to comfort her.

My breath is shaky, but I manage a few words. "It's alright. You're safe now."

She pulls away from me for a second. "Luke said something about –about us being victims in accidents? Were you in an accident recently too?"

Shame washes over me. "Um, yeah. I was in a car crash…" I don't want to say any more about that.

"Oh." She leans back on me, and I breathe into her fragrance. She smells like thriving hazelnut and vanilla. Just a little bit of her smell has Luke's strong men's cologne tucked inside, which annoys me and makes me pull closer to her.

"I never really –I'm sorry about your car crash. Was it bad?" she asks.

I inhale. "Pretty bad."

"So, you know how it feels to be broken, right?"

"Yeah." _Broken on the outside and the inside_, I think dolefully. I suddenly remember that I had made her blind, _and_ lied to her about who I was. I don't deserve her, do I? I loosen my embrace, trying to make it seem friendly instead of…loving.

"So, we were both in a car accident. That's a coincidence."

"Uh, yeah." I wonder when she'll figure that we were in the same car accident. The regret weighs myself down, and I try not to think about it.

_She'll hate you more if you tell her_, the negative side of my brain pushed.

She fixes her bra strap and adjusts her shirt. Then, she takes her hair out of her messed up ponytail and leaves it down. I try my best not to stare at her, but whoa. Her hair seems to have threads of gold inserted between the strands. It looks really curly too –not frizzy curly, but real, princess curls that look silky and coiled in the perfect spots with loops cascading down to the bottom. "Sorry you had to see that…incident with Luke. It was really brave of you to step in."

"It wasn't anything, really," I blush.

She gives a really cute hiccup. "You don't –hate me, do you? For…what happened?"

I touch her shoulder, which sends a warm sensation down my back. "Never."

Our faces are really close to each other. Her breath touches my nose. It smells like sweet alyssum with a drop of wisteria. It smells good. I'm slightly leaning in…

The door opens, and we shoot apart from each other like both of us got shot out of a cannon.

The nurse takes us down to her room to check on both of us, and then she sends us to the principal's office to wait.

~/~/~

"If you both feel harassed in any way, please let me know," Mr. Zeusaroco says. "Mr. Jackson –if you are to please from now on be in charge of guiding Annabeth to her classes and helping her, that'd be lovely."

I feel happy that I'm getting to spend more time with Annabeth, but in a way I feel guilty. Would she like it if she knew she was spending time with me?

But I say it anyway. "Yes sir."

I'm supposed to be happy. Ever since fourth grade, when my crush developed, I dreamed of getting to talk to Annabeth, and spend time with her for at least more than 10 seconds. In fifth grade, I put her first on my Christmas wish list (I guess that shows how desperate I was). When I blew out my candles on my 14th birthday, I wished to be able to talk to her. Or for her to notice me.

I'm getting all that now, right? She notices me now obviously, and she's talked with me for more than 10 seconds.

No –she didn't notice _or_ talk to me. She only had talked to _Jackson_. Not Percy.

I should tell her the truth –right?

**Thank you guys for 9 reviews! (it seems little now, but every little detail counts) It's a GREAT FEELING! How was this chapter? I hope you guys enjoyed it –nothing like reading during the holiday season, right? It'd make my day if you guys would follow/favorite/AND REVIEW! Haha –you know, whenever I get the email alerts I AM ALWAYS SO EXCITED TO CHECK and SEE IF THEY ARE FROM MY STORY (ESPECIALLY REVIEWS) anyways, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to post below, and enjoy your day/night! Look forward to the next update! –Sophia **

**(Btw: sorry about the 'Mr. Zeusaroco and Ms. Herasta' –I couldn't think of anything else –haha)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Annabeth Pov**

"He did _what_ now?" Thalia exclaims.

I nod meekly.

She stomps her foot. "I'm going to pulverize Luke and smash him until he's thinner than a piece of paper," she snarls.

I force a smile. "It's fine –I –he didn't go that far."

I can almost taste the cologne that burned his sanity away from his soul.

She almost sobs for the next half hour. She had just returned from her vacation, and since she's a senior and I'm a junior, we don't get to see each other usually in our big school.

"When I first heard about you, and the car crash, and then you being blind, and now Luke, and Percy –that little git –who the heck is he anyway?"

"I actually don't really, um, know him."

"You mean he hasn't come up to you and apologized yet, much less introduce him to yourself."

"Basically," I agree.

"You can't see anything? Aren't you scared?"

I shake my head. "I'm getting used to it now."

"So you're never going to see those creepy dolls in the back of the storage room?"

I shudder. "I think it's better that way."

"And you're never going to see your prom date? Or the cupcakes we make every year annually for the candidates running for class president? Or graduation day? Or me! You'll never see me!"

"I'm sorry, Thalia," I tell her. "I know it's hard to take in, with us being best friends since kindergarten."

She clutches my hand. "Come on, Annabeth! Make your eyes work!"

I sigh. "If only it were that easy."

It's quiet for a few seconds.

When she talks, I hear tears ripple off her voice –she's crying. "Annabeth, I can't believe this has happened –I mean, before I never would have imagined this occurring…"

"Thalia…It's still me. I'm still the same," I say genuinely.

She takes a deep breath. "…I know."

"Let's talk about something that will get our minds off me…being blind. How was San Diego?" I try to pry both of us away from the situation.

"It was okay." Her voice doesn't make me feel like she's into it. "But I wish I'd been here to support you when the accident happened. How are you going to get around school? Don't you need a guide dog, or something?"

"Jackson –um, he's my helper from now on."

"You got a guide dog named Jackson?"

I blush. "No, um…he's human.

She squeezes my hand a little too tightly. "You like him!"

I look down, my cheeks heating up. "What? No…"

"You need to find out if he likes you!" she presses on. "What does he look like? Is he hot?" Suddenly, all her grief slips away and it is replaced with jubilation. Though her voice sounds stuffy from crying earlier, it is ignited with a new spark.

"Actually, I –I never saw him before."

"Awww…you fell in love with his personality!"

I find that I can't lie to her. "He's just the sweetest guy ever –with Jackson, I feel that nothing can go wrong. The world stops revolving around life…only me and him. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"I always feel that he thinks that he did something wrong to me. But he didn't, and I really want him to know that. It was actually him who delayed Luke from…"

"Going too far?"

I nod, running my fingers through my hair.

Her phone beeps, and she checks it. "I've got to go now," she says. "I'll text you later. Call me if there's anything you need," she says.

"I'll walk you out to the front," I say, feeling around for the doorknob and opening the door.

~/~/~

"Hello, Annabeth. How are you doing today?" Dr. Brunner asks.

"I'm good," I say politely. It's my fourth time coming back, and today they're taking x-rays.

"We're going to walk out to the front, okay? Follow me."

I use my walking stick to guide myself. I'm getting more used to it now.

We enter a spacious room, and I hear mechanical devices and gears twisting and clicking.

The next thirty minutes, I'm not exactly sure what's going on. All I know is that I have to comply with what Dr. Brunner says.

"Please step forward now," he tells me. "Very good. A bit to your left, perhaps –perfect. Would you please make sure she stays still, Diane? Lovely…"

I feel a hand anchored on my shoulder as I hear a few beeping noises. They lay me down on something and I'm conscious of them lifting up my eyelid and using different tools around my eye. That makes me feel disgusted, so I try not to think about it.

"Interesting," he's saying now. I can't hear all the words he's saying since he's muttering to his assistant. "Very…yes, yes. It seems…almost as…I wonder if…yes. Would you pass me the tube B7 Diane? Thank you."

After I'm done, he walks me to my mom in the waiting room.

"We're getting the results in a few days," he tells her. "She's doing well, and actually, we're noticing a few things from her…" he chats away with my mom for a bit, so I sit down on a chair. Which turned out to be the coffee table, which had a vase of flowers on it, which spilled when I tried to sit on it.

"Shoot," I curse, closing my fingers around it and running down the vase to check for damage.

"Why do you have that stick?" a little girl's voice asks me from my right.

"Huh? Oh –my walking stick." I smile at her. "I bring it everywhere I go to help me know where to go."

"Oh," she says. "Why don't you know where to go?"

"Because I'm blind," I explain. "I can't see anything at all. It's like closing your eyes, but not really."

"That's sad," she says. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I assure her. "I'm used to it now." There are a few couple seconds of silence. "So, why are you?" I ask, trying to cook up a conversation.

"Oh. I'm waiting for my mommy. She has eye cancer –melanoma." She says _melanoma_ slowly, like she's hoping she pronounced it right this time. "My brother's on a date with his girlfriend, so since there's no one to take care of me, I'm just following my mother."

"I'm so sorry," I say sincerely. "It must be really tough for you."

"It's hard," she agrees. "Just a little, maybe."

"Amelia? I'm done, sweetie. Are you ready to go?" a feminine voice wafts off towards our direction.

"Yes," the little girl who I now know as Amelia replies. "I'm coming!" She leaves me and runs over to her mom.

"Mommy? Do you know if Daddy will ever come back?" she asks, though her voice is getting thinner as they start to head to the doors.

"I'm really sorry, but I think Daddy is going to stay away for a while," her mom answers, her voice full of dreariness. It's a voice that seems like it's wearing off slowly, peeling all the way to the core. "It's been a few weeks since the divorce…" Their voices fade away.

~/~/~

I told Jackson that he didn't have to be my helper today since we had tests all this week.

I enter the music room, which has no one in it because there's an assembly for them during periods 3 and 4. Cautiously, I sit on the seat of the piano. Then, I run my fingers on the keys, feeling the smooth texture. I imagine the pearly white color under my hands, and then I start to play.

**Hello my wonderful readers! Sorry I haven't updated in so long, and sorry for the really short and probably suckish chapter –I will make it up to all of you, I promise! I'm just quickly going to remind you all that this is going to be a short story, so it will be about 9-15 chapters long ;) Please review if you have anything to state and follow/favorite! Bye! –Sophia**


	6. Chapter 6

**Percy Pov**

I hear piano playing somewhere in the back of my mind. Instinctively, I walk towards the noise. It's been a while since I've heard the real sound of a piano reaching my ears. My dad played piano before, and I had learned a bit from him. He kept it to himself, but I knew that music was one way to keep his rhythm steady.

It's coming from the band room. But why? No one should be in there –the music kids have an assembly.

Something in the back of my mind is itching, _Weren't you going to study hall to finish your homework, dude? You have about hours of that to finish, not to mention all your tests this week_. _Get with the program! There's no time to waste at all! _ But I ignore myself and step through the doors, which is crowded with instruments. I go deeper into the room, trying to find the source to which the noise is coming from. Whoever's playing is really good. Not good as in playing all the right keys and the fast and quick measures, but playing with passion. I swear I can feel the magic. The lines of melodies intertwine, filling myself with inspiration.

After stepping over fifty thousand tubas and trumpets scattered on the floor, I see Annabeth sitting on the chair of the piano, her nimble fingers automatically pressing down the white and black keys. She looks drop dead gorgeous. Her shirt looks really nice on her. So does her jeans. And the necklace of silver on her neck with the strands of gold in her hair...I am so carried away that I trip over a french horn and fall down.

Annabeth immediately stands up and stops playing. "Who's there?" Her face is full of determination, like she's not going to let some guy mess with her this time.

I stand up uneasily. "Sorry –did I disturb you? I didn't mean to…um…"

"Oh…Jackson," she breathes, relieved. "I thought it would be someone else. Did you, er –fall?"

I blush. "No," I lie, not wanting to sound like a klutz. "No –I was just moving the instruments to the side and a few…um…rolled away," I finish lamely. "You're a really good piano player," I add quickly. "I came because I heard you play."

"I really wasn't that good," she says modestly, and I know that she's really just brushing the compliment away in politeness. "I haven't practiced in a few weeks now since I got blind, so it's hard to tell where the keys are."

"It was amazing," I assure her. "That song –my dad used to play it on the piano all the time."

"_When You Got a Good Thing_, by Lady Antebellum?" she asks.

"Yeah –he used to play and sing it for my mom, and I'd always sit beside him and watch."

"That's really sweet," she says. "I wish my parents would just one day chill from their jobs and sit by the piano and play, but they're both full time workers, and plus my two little brothers still need care. Now, they're not letting me out of the house except for school, ever since Luke…" she pauses for a second and bites her bottom lip. "I'm probably not as good as your dad, but I figured out a few lines. There's a duet version on the piano, but I can't really play it since I don't have four hands. Do you know it?"

"A little bit," I half lie. The truth was, I knew it all by heart. I'd watched my dad so much before that I ended up figuring it out myself.

She pats the seat next to her and I join her, both of us sitting down. She starts playing the introduction, and after she finishes two measures, I join in.

"_Everybody keeps telling me I'm such a lucky man," _I start singing. I can almost hear my dad singing along in the background.

"_Looking at you standing there I know I am,_

_ Barefooted beauty with eyes that blue,_

_ The sun shine sure looks good on you, I swear."_

Intuitively, Annabeth joins in. "_Oh I can't believe I finally found you baby,_

_ Happy ever after, after all this time,_

_ Oh there's gonna be some ups and downs, but with you to wrap my arms around I'm fine."_

Her pinkie goes on the key I am on, and our fingers touch. I don't move away. _"So baby hold, on, tight," _we both joined together, me singing the harmony and Annabeth the melody.

_"Don't, let, go,_

_ Hold on to the love we're making,_

_ 'Cause baby when the ground starts shaking you gotta know,_

_ When you got a good thing."_

When we finish, we look at each other. "Wow," she finally says. "That was…"

"Yeah," I agree, looking down and blushing. _Percy, you are a man! Stop blushing!_

The bell rings. "Well, I've got to go to my elective now –but thanks for stopping by," she says, standing up.

I really want to ask her out now, but that would be selfish of me. I was, and still am, lying to her about my identity. Sooner or later she'd have to find out. "Wait –Annabeth, uh…there's something you need to know."

Her face is showing worry as she turns around. "What is it?"

"I –um…"

I force myself to look into her eyes, those gray eyes…the last thing I had saw before I blacked out the other night. _Last thing I saw…Now they don't even work…Gray eyes…_

I can't do it.

"I –I'll tell you later, since you have to get to your class now and I don't want you to be late."

Her shoulders rise a centimeter as she presses her lips together lightly, looking concerned. "Oh…okay. I'll talk to you later, then."

**(I love that song by Lady Antebellum; all credits to her for lyrics btw ;)) Quick update! Sorry it's not very long, but I have to move the story along so I can reach the next events. It's a short chapter, yes, but the others I'll make sure won't be this short :) How was your day? Thanks for the reviews! They make me so happy. Like really. It'll make me happier if you could do so for this one as well! I'll try to quicken my next update, which is going to be ready soon! Once again, THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS/FAVORITES/FOLLOWS! –Sophia **


	7. Chapter 7

**Annabeth Pov**

"Well, Annabeth, I have to say that I have some news for you," Dr. Brunner put his hands together.

"Oh?" The color blanches out of my face while I keep my worry below surface. _News_ can mean anything. It can mean that I am growing a tumor inside my eye which they'll have to poke out. It can mean that they have to send me to Kyrgyzstan for more x-rays. It can mean that there is a mole rat on my head right now.

"Your x-rays and others came in," he starts, "and we did some research with the results. Now. Are you ready?"

I bite my lip and nod for him to advance.

"We discovered that there is a way for you to be able to see again," he reveals to me.

_What? Able for me to see? Wait…am I hearing correctly?_

"Er –you mean, for me not to be blind?" I ask, feeling like there's a mistake.

"Yes."

"Like, being able to see shapes, and colors, and…people? Everything will be the same as before?" Things usually didn't come this slow to me, but what I am hearing seems too good to be true.

"That's right," he clarifies. My jaw drops open at this. "It turns out that your corneas can be fixed. We will do a surgical performance in three days, which is already scheduled with your mom."

"Oh…my…gosh. _Really_?" I try to contain my excitement that is fighting to break free. "I can't believe I'm –my eyes will be able to – I can see myself –I can see –"

_I will see what Jackson looks like! _My insides feel revved up with exhilaration. Immediately, I start to care about how I look. God –I haven't seen myself in weeks.

"Except –you will have a few side-effects after the treatment is done," he scratches his head.

My mouth goes dry. "W-what are they?" I swallow with difficulty.

"Oh, it's nothing too big. After your operation is finalized, it will be normal to feel emotional and tired. Things that usually won't matter much to you will matter a _lot_. You may find yourself overreacting. The medication we will have to use will cause this to happen. There will be others too, but that's the main one."

This is silly. I know I'm not going to get _that_ emotional.

"After the surgery is done, which is in the morning, you'll have to wear this." He ruffles through some things and pulls something out. "It is kind of like a blindfold, but for this certain eye procedure. You will have to wear it for at least seven hours before you take it off, and that is to ensure that no viruses or bacteria mix with the medication in your eyes."

I nod, comprehending every detail.

Mostly, I am thinking about Jackson. I wonder what he looks like –maybe golden blonde hair, chocolate brown eyes…or green? Nah. Jackson didn't seem like the person to have green eyes.

~/~/~

I rush to find Jackson right after my morning checkup.

_Maybe I'll be able to actually have a chance with him_, I think happily.

I tap someone on the back politely. "Um, excuse me. Do you know someone named Jackson? If so, could you tell me what class he's in now?"

"Jackson? There isn't any kid named Jackson in this school, not that I know of," the person says brusquely. "Sorry."

I flinch at his acrimonious and biting character. "Well, there _is_ a guy named Jackson, at least in the school. He's about my age?"

He shakes his head roughly. "Nope, don't know him."

After period 7, he finds me at the door.

"Hey," he greets. "I was looking for you this morning."

"Oh -I was at my checkup," I say, at the same time thinking, _He was looking for me?_

"How'd it go?" he asks, sounding interested. I think I'm admiring his congenial character too much.

"Well, it turns out that…I will be able to see again!" I smile widely.

"O-h…really? That's…that's great," he says, but I can sense uneasiness in his voice. "I'm so happy for you. When –can –you, uh, see again?"

Somehow I feel like I am making him uncomfortable. Maybe he was only being nice to me because I am blind. Maybe he doesn't have any feelings for me at all.

"Friday. I have this, um, surgery. By Friday five o'clock, I will be able to take off my blindfold mask thing."

"I'll meet you there so I'll be able to see you when you see the world again," he blurts out.

I blush. "Really? You would do that?" Maybe he does care. Maybe I was just being too careful.

"Uh, well, I feel like it's my responsibility to make sure you're okay since I was the one who –I mean…I'm your helper."

Oh. Because he's my helper. My heart wilts a bit. "Yeah –um, sure! Maybe at the bench near the soccer field?"

"I'll be there," he promises. "And, um, just a quick question. This guy –Percy Jackson. Do you, um, hate him because of what he did?"

The question is a bit random, I notice, but I answer anyway, which takes a bit of time. "Well, he hasn't checked on me at all ever since…I guess if he at least said sorry, I would've forgiven him the tiniest bit. Why do you ask?"

"Oh –I was just wondering since I was just, um, curious." He gives a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry if it made you uncomfortable –"

"You weren't prying," I assure him. "You were just being considerate and making sure."

"Right," he agrees. "Hold on –you have something on your face." He steps forward with his hand on my shoulder, and suddenly I am aware of almost everything. His breath strokes my lips. It smells like the ocean breeze, and suddenly I'm wondering how his lips would feel on mine. How they would taste. What they would bring. He uses his fingers and takes something off my cheek, his fingertips lightly brushing my skin. His touch is feather-light.

"It was a little spider," he flicks it away, and then brings a strand of my hair behind my ear.

Normally, I would freak out, but I am too busy thinking about how Jackson's hand is still on my shoulder. "Oh…I hate spiders…" I say, though my focus is on how my legs are frozen, as with the rest of my body.

His hand falls back to his side, and my breathing steadies. All the way until I accidentally elbow his chest with my arm, and I feel him cringe.

"Oh my gosh, I'm _so_ sorry," I exclaim, my cheeks reddening with embarrassment. _Way to go, Annabeth. Score one for you. _

"It's fine," he sucks in his breath, and I know he's trying to hold in his pain.

I tenderly reach out my hand and place it on his chest. I can feel his muscles tense under my touch. He puts his hand on mine, which makes my skin tingle. "Does it hurt badly? What –what happened? Was it from…Luke? Or something else?"

"It's just from a –really, it's okay. I'm fine," he removes my hand from his shirt, but still holds it. After a little bit, he lets go awkwardly. I try my best to conceal my disappointment.

"The other day –what were you going to tell me?" The music room reminds me that he had something to say.

"What I was going to tell you? Oh…it was just…it was really nothing. I've –I've got to go now, but I'll, um, see you later."

"Well, um, I'll see you tomorrow," I say, still worried about what had caused him such pain, and wondering what he actually wanted to tell me.

"See you," he calls.

~/~/~

At home, we celebrate.

"Brought a cake from the bakery on my way back from work," my dad happily says, sliding the cake from the box. From the sounds, it seems like he's having a bit of trouble.

"Dad," I laugh, "do you need help?"

"What? No, of course not…"

My mom laughs along, gently taking the box from my dad and unfolds it.

"I want a big piece!" my little brother Matthew squeals.

"Me too! Can I have the one with the green icing?" Bobby, my other little brother who is Matthew's twin, asks.

"Okay, sweetie, but Annabeth's going to have the first pick, okay? This is special news for us to hear, especially for your big sister," my mom says, as she gives me a hug.

My walking stick falls, which my dad picks up and hands back to me. "Well, Annabeth, I guess you'll have three days more with this friend of yours, right?"

"Yeah," I grin. "Three days more."

"Which piece would you like, Annabeth?"

"Hm. I think I'll go with the top left corner," I decide, sliding my finger along the edge of the cake and licking off the sugary icing.

"Blue icing for you," my dad smiles, handing the plate to me.

**Hello, readers! Here's an update for you! Hope you guys liked it –how was this chapter? Review all your comments, questions, or anything, and favorite/follow! –Sophia **


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